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Rent vs. Buy

Should you rent or should you buy your home? It takes more than looking at your mortgage payment to answer this question. This calculator helps you work through the fees, taxes, and monthly payments to help you make a good financial decision.

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Definitions

Price of home

Purchase price of the home you wish to buy.

Interest rate

The interest rate you expect to receive on your mortgage.

Term in years

The number of years over which you will repay this loan. The most common mortgage terms are 15 years and 30 years.

Property tax rate

Your property tax rate. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000 per year in property taxes.

Home insurance rate

Your homeowner's insurance rate. 0.5% for a $100,000 home equals $500 per year for homeowner's insurance.

Assoc. & maintenance fees

Any association fees you are required to pay per month with the ownership of this home. Also include any other maintenance costs you expect to incur with the ownership of this home that you are not paying while you continue to rent.

Cash on hand

Cash you have for the down payment and closing costs.

Loan origination rate

The percentage the lending institution charges for its origination fee. 1% for a $100,000 home equals $1,000.

Points paid

This is the number of points paid to the lender to reduce the interest rate on the mortgage. Each point costs 1% of the new loan amount.

Other closing costs

Estimate of all other closing costs for this loan. This should include filing fees, appraiser fees and any other miscellaneous fees paid.

Total for down payment

Total funds remaining for down payment.

Monthly rent payment

Amount you currently pay for rent per month.

After-tax investment return

The rate of return, after taxes, you could receive if you invested your closing costs and down payment instead of purchasing a home.

It is important to remember that these scenarios are hypothetical and that future rates of return can't be predicted with certainty and that investments that pay higher rates of return are generally subject to higher risk and volatility. The actual rate of return on investments can vary widely over time, especially for long-term investments. This includes the potential loss of principal on your investment. It is not possible to invest directly in an index and the compounded rate of return noted above does not reflect sales charges and other fees that separate account investment funds and/or investment companies may charge.

Income tax rate

Your current marginal income tax rate. Use the table below to assist you in estimating your federal 2017 tax rate.

Filing Status and Income Tax Rates 2017*

Tax rate

Married Filing Jointly or Qualified Widow(er)

Single

Head of household

Married filing separately

10%

$0 - $18,650

$0 - $9,325

$0 - $13,350

$0 - $9,325

15%

$18,650 - $75,900

$9,325 - $37,950

$13,350 - $50,800

$9,325 - $37,950

25%

$75,900 - $153,100

$37,950 - $91,900

$50,800 - $131,200

$37,950 - $76,550

28%

$153,100 - $233,350

$91,900 - $191,650

$131,200 - $212,500

$76,550 - $116,675

33%

$233,350 - $416,700

$191,650 - $416,700

$212,500 - $416,700

$116,675 - $208,350

35%

$416,700 - $470,700

$416,700 - $418,400

$416,700 - $444,550

$208,350 - $235,350

39.6%

over $470,700

over $418,400

over $444,550

over $235,350

*Caution: Do not use these tax rate schedules to figure 2016 taxes. Use only to figure 2017 estimates. Source: Rev.Proc. 2016-55

Expected inflation rate

This is what you expect for the average long-term inflation rate. A common measure of inflation in the US is the Consumer Price Index (CPI). From 1925 through 2016, the CPI has a long-term average of 2.9% annually. Over the last 40 years, the highest CPI recorded was 13.5% in 1980. For 2016, the last full year available, the CPI was 1.1% annually as reported by the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. Inflation rate is used to adjust amounts subject to annual increases. These amounts include rent, insurance and tax payments.

Home appreciates at

Annual appreciation you expect in the home you are purchasing.

Future sales commission

The percent of your home's selling price you expect to pay to a broker or real estate agent when you sell your home.

House payment

Total of principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) and maintenance paid per month for your home. Insurance includes Principal Mortgage Insurance (PMI) and homeowner's insurance.

Initial tax savings

The value of the tax deduction you receive on your mortgage's interest and home's property taxes. For example, if you have $900 in interest and $100 property taxes per month, the value of the tax deduction would be $250 (at a tax rate of 25%).

Initial principal payment

Total of principal paid per month on your mortgage.

Net house payment

Your initial house payment minus the value of the tax deduction and principal payment.

Net home price

Net selling price of your home after subtracting any sales commissions.

Monthly payment (PI)

Monthly principal and interest payment. This does not include escrows for items such as homeowner's insurance and real estate taxes.

Monthly PMI

Monthly cost of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). For loans secured with less than 20% down, PMI is estimated at 0.5% of your loan balance each year.

This calculator is for illustrative purposes only. The information shown is designed to provide basic information about mortgage financing. Please consult with your tax advisor to determine the tax impact of home ownership and interest deductibility for your individual circumstances.